SMITH'S Experiments, BEING A True Direction how to Prepare several Medicines that have been daily Experienced; And frequently Sold, By JAMES SMITH, Practitioner in Physic and Surgery LONDON, Printed for the Author, 1681. Gentlemen, I Having Traveled most Parts of this Kingdom, Chiefly to see the variety of Diseases, and different ways of Practice, that thereby I might be more Capable of Serving that Part of the Country where I intent to Settle; (for it cannot be denied, a Person Travelling to, and Practising in, many places, may see much more than he who is more Domestic, or Lives altogether at home) thought it a part of my Duty, now I intent to desist from Travelling, to leave behind me for your future Benefit, some Receipts, or Ways of preparing some Medicines, as may be Useful in your Families: And you have here not only Directions how to make those things which I sell from my Stages; but several other as Useful, and as much Experienced as they. I know you have seen many Pamphlets of the like nature, but never any so Real as this: And though I may perhaps be maligned by some, who prefer their private Interest before a public profit; yet fear of Offending such shall never cause me to wave my Design, or check my Undertaking, in a thing that may be so generally Useful. And I hope it will be as Candidly Accepted, as Faithfully Intended, from your Friend and Servant, James Smith. 1. How to make the Brown Balsam for Wounds, Aches or pain in the Limbs. TAke Oil. Olive 1 quart, Rosemary, Thyme, Cammomile, Lavender, and Winter Savory, of each half a handful, break or cut them, and boil them in the oil, Bees-wax and Rozin, of each three quarters of a Pound; Dogs-grease, Bears-grease, and black Pitch, of each one ounce. Dissolve all these over a gentle fire, then as soon as it is taken off the fire, add Venice Turpentine 2 ounces, Storax Liquid 1 ounce, Oil of Earthworms, Oil of Melliot, and Oil of St. Johns-wort, of each half an ounce; Oil of Turpentine 1 ounce, Oil of Spike 2 drahcms, stir these together till they are cold. 2. How to make the Green Ointment for Burns or Scalds, Inflammation, or Heat in any part. Take Hemlock, Henbane, Nightshade, Grondsill, Housleek, Dwarf-Elder, Marsh-Mallows, Chickweed, and Plantain, of each a handful: Cut the herbs, and put them to 2 quarts of Oil Olive: Boyl them till the herbs be crisp; then strain it, and put to the Oil one pound of Virgin Wax, dissolve the Wax, and then let it cool by degrees. 3. How to make an Excellent Water for any curable Disease of the Eyes. Take Quicklime 2 ounces, let it steep 12 hours in a pint, of Spring water, then take off the clear, gently strain it through a thin Rag, that the scum which will be at the top get not through: Put it into a Brass Pan, and put to it Shall Armoniac three drachms; stir it with a Brass Spoon till it be▪ very blew: Drop of it into the Eye two or three times a day. 4. Another Remedy for the Eyes. Take white Rose-water, Plantain Water, and Eyebright Water, of each one ounce; Powder of white Sugar-Candy half an ounce, Olibanum one drachm: Mix them by pouring the Water to the Powders in a Mortar by degrees, stirring with the Pestle all the while. Use this as the former. 5. How to make the Excellent Powder for the Worms, to be taken in Honey or Treacle in the Morning Take Tormentil Roots, Coriander Seeds, Coraline, burnt Hartshorn, all Pulverised, of each one ounce; Salt of Wormwood one ounce; mix them together very well, and keep it dry. Probatum est. The Dose for a Man as much as will lie on a shilling. 6. An Excellent Powder for Ruptures, or Broken Bellies, to be taken in Claret, or strong Drink in the Morning. Take the Roots of Bistort, Round Birthwort, Tormentil, and the great Comfry, of each one ounce, Red and yellow Saunders, of each one drachm and half, Dragons-blood, and Hartshorn, of e●ch 2 scruples, bolearmoniack 2 drachms; Pulverize, and mix them all. Dose from 12 grains to 2 scruples. 7. An Approved Remedy forth Epilepsy, or Falling-Sickness; to be taken in strong drink in the morning. Take Peony Roots, Round Birthwort, and Sassafras, of each one ounce; Pellitory of Spain 2 drachms, Caraway seeds, sweet Fennel seeds, and Rue, of each half an ounce; Leaves of Betony, and Parsley, of each 2 drachms; Pulverize, and mix them together. Dose from 12 grains to 2 scruples. 8. The Powder to purge the Head. Take Rosemary, and Betony, of each 1 scruple; black Hellebore, of each 1 scruple; Ireos 1 drachm and a half: Mix them all in fine Powder, and take of it at Night, one grain at a time. 9 The Remedy for the Toothache. Take Pellitory of Spain, mix it with an equal quantity of Wheat-flower, and with the strongest Spirit of Wine make a paste, Roul it in thin Cakes, and cut it into square pieces and dry it; hold a bit of it between the Teeth, or in the hollow of the Tooth: Keep the mouth shut as long as you can. 10 The Composition of the General Purging Pill, being the Only Purge for any Disease, either Cronical, or Acute, where Purging is necessary. ℞. Scammonii ℥ ss. pulp. Coloquint. ʒ v. f. P. Et cum Ol. Caryophill. Chim. q. S. F. M. Cui add, Pil. Cochiae min. et Aggregativae, an. ʒ i. ss. bene Contundantur simul, et fiat massa pro Pilulis. Does. gr. 10. An Excellent PILL for the Stomach. Take of Pill. Ruffi, called Pestilential, and Pill Stomachici with the Gums, of each on drachm: Salt of Wormwood one scruple, Elixir Proprietatis, as much as will suffice to make a Mass for Pills. 12. A good Remedy to stay Vomiting. Take Malmsey six ounces, Oil of Vitriol 10 drops; mix them and take an ounce every morning fasting. 13. Another for Vomiting or Spitting of Blood. Take 5 or 6 drops of Oil of Mastic in Cinnamon water. 14. A Notable Experienced Medicine to ease the pain of the Gout. Take one, or two of the foremost sucking Whelps of a Mastiff, or Bear-Bitch, kill them, and take forth the Guts, fill them with black Snails, Roast them, and baste them with 10 ounces of Oil of Spike coloured with Saffron; Reserve that which droppeth from them, and mix it with as much Oil of Wax, And therewith Anoint the part grieved. 15. A Remedy for a Sore Mouth either in Young or Old. Take Plantain water, Honeysuckle water, and Barley water mixed with Saccharum Saturni, and gargarize with it. 16. An Excellent Remedy for Consumption or Coughs. Take Anniseeds, Carawayseeds, Coriander seeds, Licorice, & Elicampane, of each half an ounce, Flower of Brimstone 2 drachms; Mix these with good clarified Honey to the form of an Electuary, then add Balsom of Sulphur one drachm, and Oil of Anniseeds 10 drops; stir it well, and take of it Morning and Evening as much as a Hazel Nut. 17. The way of making Elixir Vitae. Take Rosemary one handful, Juniper Berry's 2 ounces, Angelica Roots, and Elicampane, of each half an ounce, Zedoary, and Cardamom, of each 3 drachms; steep all these 24 hours in 2 quarts of strong Spirit of Wine; Then draw off in an Alembick very gently one quart and half a pint of the Elixir. 18. To Blanche the Face. Take the Meat of Lemons, the Kernels being taken away, and a quantity of the first Sugar: Still these, and keep the Water to wash the Face every Night. 19 A Powder for the Stone, Sand, Gravel or Phlegm, that Obstructs the Urine. Take Sopewort Roots, and Sea-Radish Roots, of each half an ounce, Juniper-Berries, Bay Berries, and Haws, of each five drachms; Gromel-seed, Parsly-seed, and Carraway-seed, of each six drachms; Gum Arabic and Sal Prunella, of each four scruples; Pulverize, and mix these, and put to them oil of Turpentine one drachm, oil of Juniper half a drachm. The Dose from 10 grains to half a drachm. 20. To stay bleeding at the Nose. Take some Lint and make a Tent, dip it in Ink and put up the Nostril, and lay a Defensitive over the Eyes and Nose made with Sanguis Draco●is, bolearmoniack, and a little Vinegar. Vale.